Stranger in the Night
by IantojJackh
Summary: Lisa shows up suddendly in Cardiff one rainy night. Why has she shown up now, after all this time? Most importantly what does Ianto know about the reappearance? Established Jack/Ianto & Gwen/Rhys. Some homophobia and a little Lisa bashing in chapter 2. Some revisions to chapter 1.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Stranger in the Night

**Rating:** PG

**Spoilers:** Up to Exit Wounds. CoE and MD don't exist here.

**Pairing/Characters:** Jack/Ianto, Gwen, mention of past relationships

**Beta:** best in red. Thanks for the help on this one.

**Summary: **Another rainy night in Cardiff and Gwen finds an unconscious woman outside the vistor's center. Who is she and why is she in Cardiff? What trouble will she cause for Torchwood Three?

**Note:** Please read and review. x-posted at my LJ: iantojjackh

* * *

**Stranger in the Night-Chapter 1**

It had been raining since they arrived in Cardiff. Rain was a way of life here, or so he said. London was not much better in terms of weather and she should have known better to wear Wellies and bring an umbrella, but the fight was unexpected and she had never seen the mean, petty side of her boyfriend of a year and a half. The last minute of their fight played over in her head.

_"Your family is nothing to be ashamed of."_

_"I've kept my distance from them for good reason."_

_"Family is important."_

_"We shouldn't have come. We should have stayed in London."_

_"Don't be such a prat."_

_"I only agreed to come to stop your nagging. We are here and you are still nagging. Just drop it for once. You never let anything go. I'm done with this."_

Now, she was running. She did not think he was going to hit her, but she was not going stand around and bear the brunt of his bad mood either. The problem was that she was not familiar with Cardiff and soon the upset woman found herself lost. Pride stopped her from calling her cranky boyfriend.

The rain continued to fall, drenching her to the core. It was not much longer until she could no longer feel the rain falling anymore. Now she found herself by the bay, and if memory served her right, Torchwood Three was based here. Would they help her even if they had severed all ties with One? There were the stories of the man who ran the operation, Captain Jack Harkness. A man who would shag anything with a pulse. That thought repulsed her. Didn't the man put any value in relationships?

The soaked woman was relieved to see a visitor's center in the distance. She made a quick dash towards it and let out a scream of frustration when it was locked. Then she felt the surge through her body and everything went dark.

* * *

Gwen hustled toward the employee's entrance to hub after a quick dinner run. She planned on catching up on some long due paperwork, hoping things would be quiet with Jack and Ianto out for the evening, and probably into the early morning knowing those two.

"When's this bloody rain going to stop?" she pulled her hood tight. Gwen did not see the body before she tripped over it. "Oi!" she quickly regained her composure and checked on the other person. "Oh, thank god." She was relieved to find a pulse. "Miss, can you hear me?" The rain obscured a clear view of the barely conscious woman's face.

"What happened?" the woman mumbled as she slowly became aware of her surroundings. "So...so cold," her teeth chattered as she spoke.

"Let's get you inside," Gwen assisted the woman in standing.

"It's locked," she said as she leaned against the building for support.

"Good thing I've got a key," Gwen unlocked the door and helped the shivering woman in and put her in the chair behind the desk and got her a blanket that was kept under the desk.

"Thank you." With clothes thoroughly soaked, the woman felt like she would never be warm again. "Men can be real idiots," she saw a wedding ring on the other woman's hand. Not all marriages could be fairy tales.

"You got into a fight with your husband?" Gwen asked. There was only one reason someone could run out in this weather without proper attire. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" she searched for something to help the other woman warm up.

"Boyfriend. We got into a fight about visiting his family. He didn't want to come, but I forced him into it. He doesn't want to have anything to do with his family. It's his niece's third birthday and he's never met her or her older brother. He's the one from Cardiff. I got bloody lost and have no idea how to get back to the hotel." It felt cathartic to get that off her chest. "How can I tell him about the baby if he puts no value in family? Why can men be such selfish children?"

"I don't know," Gwen said with a laugh. "They just are sometimes. It feels like I have four children some days."

"Four?"

"My daughter, my husband and the two blokes I work with." There were days Jack was the biggest kid of them all and those were the days she left him in the care of Ianto to deal with.

"Sounds like you've got your hands full." The lost woman pulled the blanket closer. "What's this doing here?" She pulled out a paddle that had fur on one side and leather on the other. "What kind of visitor's office is this?"

Gwen's face fell into mortified shock when she saw the paddle. "Oi, those two. I thought they stopped this. Let me take that," the embarrassed woman would have a long talk with the boys about playing their games in the office.

"I'm sorry for unloading all of this on you. Thank you for helping me." She bit her lip, hiding the disgust over Gwen's comment. Was she saying that the two men she worked with used the paddle? She would never be caught using anything Like that in out of the bedroom. It was a little over the top and the idea that it was used at work frightened her.

"It's no bother. What hotel are you staying at? I can give you a ride there," Gwen offered.

"Thank you. We are staying at the Ibis. Do you know where that is? I don't recall the street it's on," the shivering was starting to subside a little.

"Sure I know where it is. I used to be a PC. Know the city inside and out," Gwen offered her arm to the weary looking woman. "You should tell him about the baby. You'd be surprised how quickly he might grow up learning that he is going to be a father."

"I hope you're right," the woman slowly got up and took the offered help. "You've too kind. Thank you again...I don't even know your name."

"No need to thank me. It's Gwen Cooper." Even after the years of marriage it was still odd to use Rhys' surname.

"Lisa Hallett."

As quickly as she said her name, there was now a gun pointed at Lisa's head.

**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Stranger in the Night (2/?)

******Spoilers: **Up to Exit Wounds. CoE and MD don't exist here.

**********Pairing/Characters: **Jack/Ianto, Past Ianto/Lisa, Gwen**********  
**

**************Warnings: **mentions of homophobia and some nastiness toward the boys.

******************Beta: **best in red. Thanks for the help on this one. You're the best.

**********************Summary: **Lisa shows up suddendly in Cardiff one rainy night. Why has she shown up now, after all this time? Most importantly what does Ianto know about the reappearance?

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Lisa flinched as a gun was pointed at her. Her training did not prepare her for this; being a researcher, she had no arms or combat training. More importantly, Lisa wondered why the moment she had said her name, a gun was pulled.

Gwen had hoped this was a sick joke or some one in a million coincidence. She had not seen Lisa outside of cyber conversion unit and Ianto never had pictures of her, or ones that he showed anyway. It had to be a coincidence or Ianto had been keeping big secrets again.

"That is not funny," Gwen hissed. She was ready to shoot if necessary.

"Excuse me?" Lisa's voice was coated with fear and she was shaking again, not from the cold this time. "I don't know what you are talking about. I'm just a researcher."

Some of the pieces started to fall together. Torchwood Three was located in Cardiff Bay and with its severed ties to One, she thought there might 'a shoot on sight' order for all London employees. But sadistic was not one of the words Lisa had heard which was associated with Jack Harkness. Nor was Gwen Cooper on the list of active Torchwood operatives, unless the name was a cover.

"I really am lost. Yvonne Hartman did not send me." Lisa pleaded.

"Who?" Gwen asked, throughly confused. "Just stop talking," she reached over and pressed the button to open the hub. "Don't give me a reason to shoot you." Gwen's voice shook slightly. She did not know how to handle the situation, knowing that Jack should be brought in on this, but she did not want to ruin his and Ianto's night. It was the couple's first wedding anniversary, married in a ritual ceremony on Jack's home planet. She could detain the prisoner in the cells until morning and then they could deal with the fall out.

"I'm not giving you any reason," Lisa knew she just had to go along with everything. If this was Torchwood Three then she could sort everything out once she talked to its leader. "Just don't hurt the baby."

"Shit," Gwen cursed. She had forgotten about Lisa mentioning a pregnancy. She hoped for everyone's sake that this was not what it looked like. There was no way Ianto could betray them again, was there? Gwen did not want to think on it because Ianto seemed genuinely happy in his life with Jack.

The rest of the trip was wrought with awkward silence and as soon as the cog doors opened, Gwen led Lisa to a seat and kept the gun trained on her. One false move and she would shoot with no questions asked. "What are you doing here? I want the truth."

Lisa made sure she did not make any sudden moves, but she could not help but be in awe of the place. It looked like they had an impressive operation. "I told you the truth. Is this a sick game your boss likes to play when he gets his hands on someone from One? I've heard the stories about Jack Harkness."

Things were not making sense and Gwen wondered what games were being played. "I don't know who you are or what you are getting at. Maybe you have some bad intel, but Torchwood One no longer exists. It hasn't for some time."

"Are you mad? We just left London last night and it was there. We came to visit my boyfriend's family. Is that what Jack Harkness is telling his employees? Is he that disgusted what we stand for that he is ignoring our existence? Just like a queer to take the chicken way out." Lisa figured if she was going to die here, she better go out fighting. That included insults and all.

"Excuse me?" Insulting her boys did not sit well. "Now I think you should shut up and only answer when I tell you." If she had a problem with Jack's sexuality then Gwen could imagine the reaction when Lisa learned her supposed boyfriend was married to Jack.

"Don't like it when I call your boss names? When Yvonne hears about this, she will make sure Jack doesn't get away with this."  
Movement from above drew Lisa's attention toward Jack's office. She could only see a shadow and could not be sure if the figure could see her. "Is that him watching us?"

Gwen thought Jack and Ianto had long gone and could not be sure if both were up there. She hated that she was about to ruin their anniversary as both men had been looking forward to this night for weeks. It was actually more like Jack teasing Ianto about the plans he made while refusing to divulge any details. "Jack? Jack is that you?"

There was no response and Gwen frowned, thinking it was Ianto in Jack's office. But he would have let her know it was him up there, so maybe whichever one of them it was simply did not hear her.

"It's just you and the gays here? Jack and the other bloke, they are a couple, right?" Lisa curled her lip and looked around the cavernous space. "Don't you think an underground base is a little cliqued?"

Gwen shook her head, unable to see how some one as sweet as Ianto could have loved a woman with such hate. Lisa did not seem so bad a first, but everything changed when her homophobic side reared its very ugly head. Gwen was fiercely protective of the men, as they all were of each other. She started to believe that there was no way this was the same woman who Ianto fought so hard the save six years ago, but she could see how she was the one who tried to kill them all. "Your boyfriend's niece...what is her name? How old is she?"

Lisa refused to answer the question. "I don't see what that has to do with you pointing a gun at me." She made a mental note to ask her boss about weapons training for everyone on staff, especially if there was a chance of them coming into contact with anyone from Three again.

"Just answer the questions. I don't think you are really in the position not to," Gwen hated to act like this, but she needed more of the picture before she confronted Ianto on anything.

Lisa rolled her eyes and stared straight down the barrel of the gun, "Mica Davies. She's three. Do you need my boyfriend's name and age too? Ianto Jones age twenty-three. He works at One too."

Gwen shook her head, holding back the urge to slap the woman in front of her. She hid the relief when Lisa said Mica's age, knowing Ianto's niece was much older than that and they had celebrated Ianto's twenty-ninth birthday two months ago. It meant that this appearance had something to do with the rift. Lisa was a woman out of her normal time. Gwen put her gun away slowly, ready to fill Lisa in on some of the truth. "There are some things you should know."

Lisa looked bewildered as the gun was put away. "Like what? Are you going to let me go now? Ianto might be an immature arse right now, but he will worry if I'm not back soon."

"I can't do that..." She stopped, hearing another voice. _Crap, I thought he was gone. Gwen held up her hand, telling Lisa if she spoke there would be consequences. With the way the voice was traveling, Gwen knew they were headed to the underground car park and would not pass by the area they were sitting in. On the off chance that their path was deviated from, Gwen went to cut them off so the guest would not be seen._

"I'm leaving now. If you'd stop sending the pornographic texts...you sent a picture? See, this is why I'm only leaving your office now. Yes, I have them on, Jack. Think of the leather ones as punishment. No, I will not spank you in the car. I'm hanging up now. I'll be at the car in two minutes. I love you too."

Ianto hung up the phone and looked at the picture Jack sent him. "I'm married to a lunatic. A very sexy one, but a lunatic nonetheless." Maybe Jack was going to get his spanking after all with the x-rated picture the blushing man could not take his eyes off the picture until a sound drew his attention.

"Umm. Gwen. I thought you went to get dinner?" his blush grew deeper, knowing she had heard his half of the conversation with the naughty Captain.

Gwen froze. Should she tell him about Lisa being here or let him enjoy his anniversary? When Gwen left her, she was in a state of shocked horror, too disgusted to move or speak. Gwen had grown used to the men's antics, but there were still times she was shocked what came out of their mouths. Ianto deserved to know the truth, but the truth could wait a couple of hours, couldn't it? "I'm not going to ask. I've learned to stop asking a long time ago. Nice trousers by the way." It was odd to see Ianto wearing something other than a suit and his fitted blue shirt bought out the colour of his eyes. Any woman with half a brain would give Ianto the once over, appreciative look.

"Jack hates them. Limits the fun he can have," Ianto stopped when he realized he said too much. "I shouldn't keep Jack waiting no matter how much he deserves it."

"Such a shame you're married," Gwen wanted to make sure Lisa heard her, in case she got any ideas about making her presence known. She winked to let Ianto know she was joking.

"Don't let Jack hear you flirting with me. He'd either get jealous or find it a turn on." Ianto rolled his eyes and laughed. "Enjoy your quiet night."

She watched as the man started to leave, "Wait a minute, Ianto."

**To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Stranger in the Night (3/?)

**Spoilers**: Up to Exit Wounds. CoE and MD don't exist here.

**Pairing/Characters**: Jack/Ianto, Past Ianto/Lisa, Gwen

**Warnings**: I don't think it needs anymore unless you count some angst

**Beta**: tardisjournal thanks for all the help with this.

**Summary**: Ianto was always a James Bond fan. The idea of him getting his spy thing on bought a hint of a smile to her face.

**Notes**: Sorry it took a while to get this out, but I kind of made me lose my way with this story for a while. Hopefully the muse is here to stay for a bit.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"What is it?" Ianto paused, sensing the hesitation in Gwen's voice.

Gwen smiled and shook her head. She could not ruin his night and with the way she left Lisa, the woman was not going anywhere. She had a look of abject horror and shock on her face at hearing Ianto's side of his conversation with Jack. "Nothing," she forced the smile to look real. "You and Jack enjoy your evening. Happy Anniversary," Gwen offered her well-wishes and placed a friendly kiss on the Welshman's cheek. "I don't want a call that you two were arrested."

"The charges were dropped last time."

"No more naked hide and seek on the wharf."

"Right," Ianto laughed and gave a half-salute and ran toward the garage where Jack was waiting in the car.

Gwen shook her head and smirked. Long gone were the days where Ianto was quiet and reserved. There were some days he was worse than Jack. Gwen doubted Lisa ever saw how kinky Ianto could be. When she returned to Lisa, she saw the woman was now fuming mad.

"What kind of games are you lot playing?" Lisa ranted, refusing to believe any of things she just heard.

"None," Gwen shook her head.

Lisa closed her eyes and slammed her hand on the table, "Bullocks. That man is not Ianto Jones. My boyfriend would never cheat on me. And married? Is this why he never wanted to visit his family? He has a secret life here?" Lisa did not think Ianto was the deceptive type and wondered what his connection with Three was. Was he spying on Yvonne for Jack or spying on Jack for Yvonne and the whole marriage/civil partnership was part of the cover? Ianto was always a James Bond fan. The idea of him getting his spy thing on bought a hint of a smile to her face.

"I don't know why Ianto never visited before he moved here, but he is now close to his sister and her family," Gwen answered. Ianto's past was usually out-of-bounds, something Ianto only shared with his other half.

"Now?" Lisa stuttered.

"Some time passed since you arrived here. I'm sure you have heard that a rift through space and time runs through Cardiff." There was so much to say and Gwen knew she was not the person to say it.

"What does this rift have to do with me?" Lisa's jaw clenched, frustration growing at the lack of answers. She knew about the rift, but she never bothered to understand what it did.

"Things sometimes slip through the rift. Things out of their space or in your case out of their time." Gwen tried to explain it in the simplest terms.

With the gun not pointed at her, Lisa was able calm down and not let fear rule what came out of her mouth. "Out of my time?"

"I would say about approximately six years. Once I know more I can give an exact time. Did you bother asking your guest what the date is?"

The voice made both woman jump, not expecting anyone else to be here.

"Jack," Gwen said nervously. "I thought you two left." She looked around to see if Ianto had come with him.

"Still in the car," Jack's voice had an edge of menace. It was obvious what Gwen was looking for. "You were never a very good liar. Ianto knew something was wrong and I decided to see what it was before we left. Though, I'd admit, this is not what I expected." Jack fought to keep his cool, despite the explosive potential of the situation. There was no harm in marking his territory and making sure Lisa saw the wedding band on his finger.

Lisa kept a close eye on Jack, his smugness radiating off him and purposefully flaunting the ring on his finger. Her hands trembled slightly and clutched them to her side. "Six years? How are you certain?" Lisa carefully studied the man behind the many stories. Many of them where dead on. Smug, arrogant, charming and drop dead gorgeous. She would not admit the last one even if her life depended on it.

"It's how long Ianto has been back in Cardiff," Jack said giving as little information as possible. He knew anything he could say could affect the time line. In fact Lisa being here had a chance for major repercussions. She was going to need a nice does of retcon once they figured how to send her back, but Jack's main concern was what this was going to do to Ianto and the uncertainty made his stomach tighten.

"Is being vague the way things work here? Or is this just lies and made up stories to get back at us. To punish Yvonne for the bullocking she gave you last month?" Lisa looked between the two for answers.

"No lies. Only vague when timelines are concerned. Say the wrong thing and everything changes." Jack said nonchalantly. The only conversation with Yvonne that Lisa could be talking about had happened two months before Canary Wharf fell. "You are here for Mica's third birthday?" With that little bit of information, Jack was able to figure out exactly where in time Lisa came from. A month for now in Lisa's timeline, her life as she knew it would come to an end.

"Yes," Lisa allowed. Adrenaline coursed through her body and fear clouded her eyes. "Why is this happening? Did you brainwash Ianto into being with you? He would never go for someone like you." She did not know what Jack was capable of and it was oddly exciting and scary at the same time.

"Someone like me? Do you mean because I'm a man or..." Jack tilted his head, trying to read Lisa. From what Ianto said about Lisa, she did not seem the homophobic type, but when one realizes their supposed boyfriend is married to another man harsh words can be said in a fit of anger. Jack recalled Ianto mentioning Lisa's sister was living with a woman before he left London.

"She said some things before," Gwen interrupted.

"You had a gun in my face. How did you expect me to react? I've heard the stories about you! What kind of lifestyle is that? And I mean by having someone or something different in your bed every night," Lisa said with her nose turned up at the promiscuous tales of Captain Jack Harkness.

Jack laughed with smug satisfaction. "Let me guess. Yvonne Hartman told you?" He was not going to speak ill of the dead. "Those are just stories and most of them might have been true when you heard them, but those days are long behind me. I've been in a monogamous relationship for the last five years. There was no brainwashing involved." It was time for petty Jack to come out and play.

There was no way he was going to give up the best thing that ever happened to him without a fight. In his mind there was no way to compare a relationship that only lasted at third of the time he had been with Ianto.

Gwen quietly excused herself and retreated to another part of the hub to give the two people vying for Ianto some privacy.

"Five years?" Lisa repeated just to make sure she heard that right. She still was not convinced that Ianto had not been brainwashed. "I heard Ianto's half of his conversation with you. That sounds nothing like him. You had to do something to him."

Jack did not take kindly to being accused of whatever Lisa was trying to say. "I don't like what you are implying. We both are very willing participants in our marriage. Either of us can walk out whenever we want." The Captain did his best to remain calm and not begin to boast about his amazing sex life with the sexy Welshman. There was a time and a place for that kind of talk and this was not it. It also was not the time to tell her that Ianto's devotion to her could have brought about the end of the world.

Lisa's mind was reeling with everything her brain was trying to process. It was like she had fallen though the rabbit hole and everything she knew had changed. In this case the rabbit hole was a very real thing called the rift. There were so many questions that she had that she doubted Jack or Gwen would answer.

_Why was Ianto no longer working in London?_

_Why were she and Ianto no longer together?_

_What would make Ianto fall for someone as unscrupulous as Jack Harkness?_

_Is Ianto a part of his child's life and is Jack a part too?_

_How was she going to get home and stop this future from happening?_

"I want to talk Ianto and hear his side of everything." Lisa demanded, but it sounded almost like a desperate plea. She wanted to see her boyfriend for herself to make sure he was really okay.

"I can do that," Jack's voice was even, not displaying any emotion. Truthfully, he was scared like he had never been before. Had Ianto had a normal breakup with Lisa he would not be worried, but he knew there was still a part of his husband that loved Lisa, a part that would always love her. Ianto still got withdrawn and sullen on the anniversary of her death. Jack stuffed his hands in his pockets and sulked off back to the car park.

Lisa watched as Jack walked away, not expecting to see the vulnerability in his eyes. She could see he was scared and worried about losing something that he cared for more than himself. That did not fall in line with what the stories of Jack Harkness were about.

Ianto sighed and crossed his arms over chest when he saw Jack return and the look on his face. It was clear that their celebration was not going to happen. "What happened? Are we going to have to cancel dinner?"

"You know I love you, right?" Jack pulled Ianto into his arms and held on like it could be their last time. His face was buried so deeply against Ianto's neck, Jack could hardly breathe.

"I know and I love you too, but right now you are scaring me. What's going on, Jack?" Ianto kissed the side of his husband's head. He knew well enough to know it had to be very serious. Jack was usually good at hiding how scared he was, but when he showed it, it meant the situation was usually dire.

"Lisa, she came through the rift. When you two came for Mica's third birthday." Jack felt his heart rip from his chest when Ianto pulled out of the embrace and took off for the main part of the hub. His fear began to come true.

**To be continued...**


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